Individually accessible multi-compartment refrigerator unit



Nov. 15, 1966 P. H. BOOTH 3,285,034

INDIVIDUALLY ACCESSIBLE MULTI-COMPARTMENT REFRIGERATOR UNIT Filed Aug. 9, 1965 INVENTOR PAT H. BOOTH BY W, MW

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,285,034 INDIVIDUALLY ACCESSIBLE MULTI-COMPART- MENT REFRIGERATOR UNIT Pat H. Booth, Dallas, Tex., assignor to Zero Plate Company, Inc., a corporation of Texas Filed Aug. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 478,188 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-414) This invention relates to refrigeration, and more particularly to an improved refrigerator box in which a plurality of compartments may be operated with minimum temperature change when access is had to any other compartment.

In construction of refrigerators having no freezing compartment, such as those used in commercial establishments, an insulated box generally is employed having a front access door. Cold air is customarily introduced into the box at a point near the top and circulated from top to bottom through grille-like shelves. In accordance with copending application Serial Number 394,122 of John S. Booth, a coworker of applicant, a refrigerator unit having solid shelves with controlled fiow of air through each of the compartments formed by the shelves is described.

The present invention relates to a multi-compartment box having individual access to each of the compartments With means for minimizing temperature variation in any compartment other than the one to which access is had.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an insulated box having side, top, bottom and rear walls and a plurality of vertically-spaced sets of access doors in a front wall. Interior side wall bafiles spaced inwardly of the inner face of the insulated side walls form ducts extending from top to bottom of the box on each side thereof. The plurality of solid shelves extend between the side baffies at spaced points between the tops and bottoms of the bafiles, the baffles being perforated on each side of the box at the top of each compartment above each of the shelves for flow of air to and from the ducts. Means including a refrigerant coil and a blower are positioned in flow communication with the ducts for producing and forcing flow of cold air through the box above each of the shelves. Vertical insulated baffies, at least one extending from front to back of the box and upwardly from the top surface of each of the shelves to a level below the perforations on the adjacent side baffies, minimize temperature variations in the box when any one of the doors is open.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and for further objects and advantages thereof, reference may now be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the refrigerated multicompartment unit of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view partially in section immediately behind the front doors and panel of the box of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a modification of a shelf structure.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the box is provided with four pairs of doors. The top pair of doors 11 and 12 are spaced horizontally one from the other. The second pair of doors 13 and 14 are spaced horizontally from one another and are immediately below doors 11 and 12. Similarly, the pair of doors 15 and 16 and the pair of doors 17 and 18 occupy the lower middle quarter and bottom quarter, respectively, of the box. A mechanical compartment in the zone 19 is provided at the lower extremities of the housing of the box 10.

In one aspect of the invention, independent access is provided for all of the eight compartments in the box 3,285,034 Patented Nov. 15, 1966 "ice 10 while minimizing change in the temperature of the remaining seven compartments. The structure for accomplishing this is shown in FIGURE 2 wherein the box 10 is provided with relatively thick walls having insulation 20 therein. A side panel 21 extends down the right side of the box. A side panel 22 extends down the left side of the box. A top panel 23 and a bottom panel 24 complete the top and bottom panels. A back panel 25 forms the fifth side of the box. The frame members to which the doors 11-18'are secured, together with the doors, form the sixth side.

Secondary side panels 31-34 extend on the left side of the box from the back panel to the front closure. Similarly, secondary side panels 35-38 on the right side of the box extend from the back panel 25 to the front closure. Shelves 41-44 extendacross the box at levels generally corresponding with the bottoms of the doors 11-18 and are secured to the side panels 31-38 and engage the back panel 25 and the front closure to form four compartments. Side ducts 45 and 46 thus are formed to extend along the sides of the box and are in flow communication with a fan unit 47 and a compartment in which a refrigerant coil 48 is located. Ports 51-54 communicate with the duct 45 so that air from fan 47, chilled as it passes over coil 48, will flow into the compartments above the shelves 41-44. The air return path is by way of the slots or ports 55-58. By this means, the temperature of the zone above each of the shelves 41-44 may be maintained substantially independent of the temperature of any other zone.

In accordance with the invention, intermediate baffies or panels 61-64 extend from the back panel 25 to the front closure of the box and divide the compartments above the shelves 41-44 into two zones. For example, the baffle 61 is positioned on the top of shelf 41 and extends upwardly to a point spaced a distance a from the top panel 23. By this means the flow of air through the port 51 will be forced into the compartment to the left of the panel 61. The cool air then may flow over the top of the panel 61 into the compartment to the right thereof. The air then flows from the latter compartment through the slot 55 into the duct 46. The panels 61-64 are sealed at the back panel 25 and to the front center post of the box 10 so that door 11, for example, may be opened without permitting the loss of cold air from the compartment to the right of the baffle 61. Similarly, any one of the other doors may be opened while maintaining the temperature of the compartment behind the closed doors.

It will be noted that the ports 51-54 are of progressively decreasing size with distance from the top of the box to the bottom. Ports 55-58 are of about equal size. While only four shelves have been shown, it is to be understood that additional vertically arranged compartments and shelves may be employed while independent temperature maintenance is assured through the use of the vertical baflles. It will be noted only two compartments are shown in FIGURE 2 above any shelf. It will be understood that, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, a greater number of baffies, such as the bafiles 70 and 71 may be positioned horizontally along a given shelf, such as shelf 72, with three or more doors provided for access to the compartments 74, 75, and 76.

The shelves 41-44 and the bafiles 61-64 preferably are of insulating material. This makes it possible to control and maintain the temperature in the different cornpartments at substantially different levels. For this purpose, adjustable plates 81-84 are provided along the inlet ducts 51-54, respectively. The plates 81-84 have screws which extend through slots in the duct walls. The relative size of the openings leading to the various shelf compartments can be controlled by widening or narrowing the opening. The flow of air to a given compartment will be increased or diminished, thereby causing the temperature within the compartment to be maintained dilferentfrom that of the other compartments.

Having described the invention in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that further modifications may now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a multicompartment forced-air refrigerator having a refrigerant coil and a blower for producing and driving a stream of cold air in an insulated box having insulated side, top, bottom and rear walls, the combination which comprises: i

(a) a plurality of vertically-spaced sets of access doors in a front wall of said box,

(b) interior side wall baflles spaced inwardly of the inner face of the insulated side walls to form side ducts extending from bottom to top and from front to back of the interior of said box,

(c) a plurality of solid shelves, one extending between said batfies at the bottom of each of said sets of said doors, said baffles being perforated on each side of said box at the top of each compartment above each of said shelves for flow of air to and from said ducts, and

4 (d) vertical bafiles, at least one extending from front to back of said box and upwardly from the top surface of each of said shelves to a level below the perforations in the adjacent side baffies for minimizing temperature variations in said box when any one of said doors is opened.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said shelves and said baifies are insulated.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which means are provided for varying the relative rates of flow of cold air through the different ducts leading to said compartments.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which means are provided for individually controlling the flow of cold air into each compartment between adjacent pairs of shelves.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,397,392 11/ 1921 Amend 62-255 2,382,084 8/1945 Mathews 62419 2,442,719 6/1948 Booth 62-419 2,788,641 4/ 1957 Franklin 62419 2,826,046 3/1958 Tobiasz 62-4l9 3,027,732. 4/1962 Mann 62 447 3,123,988 3/1964 Ri-ohman 62-414 WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A MULTICOMPARTMENT FORCED-AIR REFRIGERATOR HAVING A REFRIGERANT COIL AND A BLOWER FOR PRODUCING AND DRIVING A STREAM OF COLD AIR IN AN INSULATED BOX HAVING INSULATED SIDE, TOP, BOTTOM AND REAR WALLS, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY-SPACED SETS OF ACCESS DOORS IN A FRONT WALL OF SAID BOX, (B) INTERIOR SIDE WALL BAFFLES SPACED INWARDLY OF THE INNER SIDE OF THE INSULATED SIDE WALLS TO FORM SIDE DUCTS EXTENDING FROM BOTTOM TO TOP AND BOTTOM FRONT TO BACK OF THE INTERIOR OF SAID BOX, (C) A PLURALITY OF SOLID SHELVES, ONE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID BAFFLES AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH OF SAID SETS OF SAID DOOR, SAID BAFFLES BEING PERFORATED ON EACH SIDE OF SAID BOX AT THE TOP OF EACH COMPARTMENT ABOVE EACH OF SAID SHELVES FOR FLOW OF AIR TO AND FROM SAID DUCTS, AND (D) VERTICAL BAFFLES, AT LEAST ONE EXTENDING FROM FRONT TO BACK OF SAID BOX AND UPWARDLY FROM THE TOP SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID SHELVES TO A LEVEL BELOW THE PERFORATIONS IN THE ADJACENT SIDE BAFFLES FOR MINIMIZING TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS IN SAID BOX WHEN ANY ONE OF SAID DOORS IS OPENED. 